Firestar's Other Love
by hkhkcat
Summary: Firestar is out on the hunting patrol, when he meets a mysterious kittypet, forgetting he already has a mate . . . .
1. The First Meeting

Firestar was on the hunting patrol, shortly after the break of dawn. He was hunting near the ThunderClan borders, but stopped when he got near the Twoleg place. Just then, a cat leaped out, chasing a sparrow. Firestar immediately recoiled back, but stopped when he saw the collar around its neck. _It must be a kittypet,_ he thought. He stopped to step back but froze when he stepped on a crunchy autumn leaf. The cat's head swiftly turned towards Firestar and saw the glint of his green eyes. It stepped closer. "My name is Ginger," it said. Firestar knew he couldn't resist the charm of this mysterious cat. "I-I'm F-F-Firestar." He took in her ginger-white pelt with beautiful green eyes, and stepped closer. "D-Do you want to m-meet again sometimes?" he asked, completely forgetting that he already had a mate . . .


	2. Firestar Returns to Camp

"Sure . . ." Ginger said to Firestar, her face breaking into a sweet smile like honey.

Firestar stared at her with longing. He wanted that honey, and now!

"H-how about t-tomorrow!" Firestar burst. They words broke out of his mouth like bees streaming out of a hive.

"That sounds nice," Ginger crooned. Firestar suddenly looked up at the setting sun. "I have to go," he said.

"I'll be back tomorrow." He walked into the forest, and not a moment too soon. Graystripe peered out at him.

"Hello, Graystripe..." Firestar said awkwardly. "What are you doing?" Graystripe broke into a smile, then concern. "Where were you, Firestar?" he asked.

"I was hunting and I got . . . carried away." "Oh, I see," Graystripe said happily.

"Go see Sandstorm, she's been worried sick. It's like you've been meeting another cat!" Firestar suddenly tensed up, but relaxed again before Graystripe could see him. He bounded back to camp. "Sandstorm, honey. I'm sorry, I was hunting and I got distracted by a . . . mouse."

"FIRESTAR!" Sandstorm chided harshly. "I've been looking all over for you. I thought you were at the Twolegplace or something." Firestar tensed up again, and this time Sandstorm saw him. "Are you okay? Are you having a seizure or something?"

"No," Firestar gulped. _How am I going to get out of this one?_ he thought. "Chills!" he said quickly. "Yeah, I'm cold. Could you tell the apprentices to get me more moss for my den?"

"Sure, darling. Sorry about snapping." "It's okay," Firestar replied. "And thanks!"

Sandstorm bounded out of the den. Once she was out of earshot, Firestar sighed and laid down in his den. "I'm gonna be hot tonight," he muttered to himself. "But it'll be worth it. Sandstorm CANNOT find out about me and Ginger."


	3. The Next Meeting

_**THE NEXT DAY**_

Firestar woke up, sweating from the excess moss the apprentices had given him. He looked at Sandstorm, breathing softly next to him. For some reason, she looked less beautiful than before.

He slowly padded out of the den, and looked at the sky. It was very early in the morning, and just beginning to get light. He looked around, spotting a figure in the dim light.

He walked over to the silhouette of the cat, and saw Graystripe. He tapped him on the shoulder, and he whirled around.

"Graystripe," he whispered. "The freshkill pile is low; I'm going to go for a hunt."

"Sure," Graystripe said back. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Firestar's eyes widened. "No. I'm going to a dangerous area, near to dogs. You don't have to worry about me, though. Just _don't_ let anyone else look for me. I'll be back soon."

"Are you sure?" Graystripe asked, looking skeptical.

"Yes," Firestar replied, confidently.

"Okay then . . ." Graystripe shrugged.

Firestar walked off, peering back at Graystripe every so often. When he moved so that Graystripe couldn't see him, he bounded over to the Twolegplace, and was delighted to see Ginger sunning on a rock.

"So early?" she squinted at Firestar.

"Anything for you, Ginger," Firestar said.

Ginger hopped off the rock, and walked over to Firestar, her tail blowing gently in the morning wind. When she got over to him, she ran her tail over his back, and Firestar shuddered at the feeling of her silky fur. He made a mental note to catch maybe a few squirrels before he went back to camp.

"So, which house do you live in?" she asked Firestar.

Firestar smiled. "House? I don't live in a house?"

"You don't?" Ginger asked, surprised.

"No! I live in the forest, but I live alone." No way would Firestar tell Ginger he lived in a clan.

"Live alone. That sounds nice, but, I mean, how do you eat?" Ginger peered at Firestar out of the corner of her eye.

"I catch my food. Don't worry, it's sanitary."

"What do you eat?" Ginger asked

"I eat squirrels and mice, occasionally a nice vole."

"Wow! That sounds hard. You must be _very_ brave. Could you catch one for me sometime?"

"Sure . . . " Firestar said, wondering if she would like the taste. "You know, it's not kittypet food."

"I know," Ginger said. "That stuff is gross! It tastes like sand."

Firestar smiled, happy that he and Ginger shared the same opinions.


	4. The Stroll

"So is it lonely being all by yourself every day?"

"Not anymore," Firestar replied to Ginger's comment. "Not now, that I have you."

"Oh, how sweet," Ginger purred.

"So. Do you want that mouse?" Firestar asked Ginger.

"Oh, yes!" Ginger squealed like a young kit.

Firestar padded out of the small garden and immediately heard scuffling in the dirt. He saw a vole, and knowing that Ginger didn't know anything about prey, pounced and caught it.

"And here is your mouse," he said triumphantly.

Ginger glanced at it. "How do I eat it?" she asked questionably.

Firestar chuckled. "Like this. You want to share?" he said.

"Sure!" Ginger smiled.

"Okay, just take a bite." In seconds, the vole was gone.

"Wow, that's yummy!" Ginger said.

"Isn't it?" Firestar said back.

It was slightly darker, so Firestar resolved to go in a little while.

"Hey Ginger," Firestar wondered.

"Yes?" Ginger asked politely.

"Well, I was thinking if you want we could go for a stroll."

"That would be great!" Ginger said.

Firestar immediately knew that they couldn't go into the forest. "How about we go on the street?" he asked.

"Okay! Would you like to see my neighborhood?"

Firestar didn't know what a neighborhood was, but he agreed anyway. "This way," Ginger pointed. She walked onto the street and Firestar followed.

Ginger pointed to the square shaped-houses. "So that one is Snowy's, and that one is Sugar's, and that one is Haze's . . . "

Firestar thought he was going to die of boredom, but when Ginger stopped at another house, Firestar felt a strange tug at his memory.

"I know this house," he said.

"You do? This is mine," Ginger said in surprise.

Firestar looked through the windows with beautiful satin curtains and saw a cat bowl with food in it. Another one sat next to it with beautiful, clean water.

He took another look at the silver bowls. He knew that he had seen them before, and looked at the name "Ginger" on them.

He saw familiar cat toys. That red mouse! He could barely remember where it was from, or where he had seen it.

He saw familiar twolegs cruising through the house. The bowls . . . the twolegs . . . the toys. His mind was spinning. Where did he know this from?

The bowls. He had to look at those again. Under the name "Ginger" was something else. He looked in at the familiar letters and saw the name "Rusty." _Rusty. That's me!_ he thought in shock. Those toys. They used to be his. And the twolegs. They were _his_ twolegs.

**Only then did he realize that Ginger was his replacement.**


	5. Firestar's Lament

Firestar glanced up again at the sun. It was setting quickly. "Ginger! I have to go! I forgot!" He bounded away before Ginger could say a word.

When he returned to the den with two squirrels and a vole in his jaws, it was already dark. Graystripe was pacing frantically. "Firestar . . . where is he? He said he would be back!" he was muttering.

"Graystripe!" Firestar called.

"Firestar! You said you would be back." Graystripe narrowed his eyes in anger at Firestar. Firestar shrank at the sight of him. Graystripe, usually so carefree, was mad at him.

"I'm really sorry. Prey was short today," Firestar gasped.

"Well, maybe we should send out more hunters. If prey's short, that's not good. Has ShadowClan been stealing from us? I heard from them at the Gathering that prey was running low in their territory!"

Graystripe was speaking so fast that it was hard to understand even a few words. "Stop! Stop!" Firestar cried on agony. "You're killing me!"

Graystripe chuckled. "Sorry. But really, they might be stealing. Should we launch an attack?"

"No," Firestar said. "It was dark, and they were all in their holes. In the morning, I just lost my touch."

"I see," Graystripe said with an air of amusement.

Firestar felt terrible about lying to his friend. _What am I supposed to do? I can't tell anyone in the clan about Ginger. But I can't stop seeing her, either. That would break her heart and mine._

"I'm tired. I'll go to bed," Firestar told Graystripe.

As he walked into his den shared with Sandstorm, he glanced at the sleeping light brown cat. Her brown eyes were unsatisfying compared to Ginger's rich green ones. _I don't like stripes,_ he thought.

He couldn't stop thinking about Ginger. Him and Sandstorm. Him and Ginger. Who would he be happier with? Ginger -or- Sandstorm.

His mind spun, and he only got in a couple hours of sleep. He woke up late the next morning, and Sandstorm was up. She looked happy, and Firestar was the opposite. He was tired and grumpy.

"Hello Firestar, darling!"

Firestar nodded his head at her, and picked up a lone squirrel from the freshkill pile. Now it was empty.

"Someone needs to hunt!" he shouted. "Sandstorm! Graystripe! Dustpelt! Hunt already!"

"What about you?" cute little Sorrelpaw asked.

"I'm going to sleep. Go hunt with Sandstorm."

Sorrelpaw wrinkled her nose at Firestar but bounded off with Sandstorm. As Firestar drifted into sleep he regretted ever meeting Ginger. It had only gotten him into more trouble.


	6. Ginger's Surprise

**In the Morning**

Firestar immediately bounded back to Ginger's house. There he saw here, obviously waiting for him.

"Ginger! Ginger!" he called.

"Firestar! I need to tell you something!"

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"Firestar!" Ginger said, overjoyed. "Firestar . . . I'm having your kits!"

"What?" Firestar asked. "That . . . that can't be?" He knew he was in big trouble.

"It's okay! You can have the kits for company. You said being a loner was lonely!"

Firestar was taken aback by Ginger's sweet heart and compassion.

"If you say so, dear."

"Anything for you, Firestar," Ginger smiled. Her expression then changed to a frown. "Why did you run last night?"

"Oh, I smelled dog a bit. Dogs hate me!"

"But I didn't smell anything."

"Oh, I have to make sure I can't be ANYWHERE NEAR dogs. They can't stand me and will rip me to shreds."

"That's not good . . . " Ginger said like she was slightly scared.

"Yeah, they can sense me from very far away. But it's no reason to be scared. We should enjoy this time while we can be together!"

"Yes!" Ginger said, her face breaking into a smile.

"How about we go for another stroll?"


	7. Goodbye, Ginger

**Three Moons Later**

**Sorry if the last chapter was kinda short . . . I was really busy . . . **

**Well, here goes. **

All had gone well in ThunderClan for the past three moons. Firestar had been able to keep his relationship with Ginger stable while still having Sandstorm unsuspicious. His friendship with Graystripe hadn't diminished, and, of course, his apprentice was still as bouncy and lively as usual.

As he padded over to Ginger's house and his former residence, he saw Ginger with a large belly, her face frozen, Firestar assumed, in an expression of pain.

"Firestar! The kits are coming!" Those words were enough to almost jolt Firestar out of his skin.

"Yes Ginger! I'll get a stick!"

"A stick? I don't care! Just go fast!" Ginger pleaded, while rolling in pain. Firestar ran to get a thin twig, and came back with one.

"Here, Ginger. Bite!" he ordered. Ginger obeyed, and as the first kit came out, she squeezed her eyes shut and yowled. The stick split slowly.

One more, and then the stick broke in two. Ginger's body was shaking, and it didn't look natural.

"Help!" she yowled. She shuddered, and then was still. She peered up at him in deep sadness.

"Firestar."

Firestar listened, for this, he guessed, was the last time he would ever hear Ginger's voice.

"Firestar. I know you'll be a great father. Name our kits whatever you like. I love you. Goodbye," she sighed.

And then she was gone.

"No! Ginger!" he yowled softly. "No! Don't leave me!" His green eyes connected with hers, but hers were glazed. They weren't rich and emerald like they were before. A small tear dripped onto Ginger's cheek.

"Who ever thought I would be crying over a kittypet?" he spat in sorrow and anger.

"I can't believe she's gone. I loved her so much. No, this can't have happened. Ginger! No!" he murmured. "Well, I guess I have to go back to camp."

He padded back to camp in silence, carrying the two kits by their scruffs. He placed them gently by a bush near the camp. He knew Sandstorm was expecting her kits soon, but not now! As he walked into camp, he heard the yowling of a she-cat for the second time of the day.

"Sandstorm!" he yelled. She was kitting! He ran inside of the den, where she was there, being tended to by Yellowfang. "Yellowfang, go!" he said. "Help!" Sandstorm said, then went unconcious.

Firestar bounded out of camp at top speed, then glanced at the two kits. "No!" he yowled. One was dead. He picked up the brown one with the bushy tail, then ran back to camp like the wind.

Sandstorm was still out, and no one was there. He carefully placed the newborn, mewling kit beside her, then picked up the younger, small brown tabby.

"Sandstorm!" he said, then called for Yellowfang. "She had two kits, but she fainted. How do I wake her up?" he said in surprise, hoping, hoping Sandstorm wouldn't go like Ginger.

"Leave her," Yellowfang said. "Step out of the den."

Firestar left in surprise, then came in when Yellowfang called him softly. "Yes?"

"You have two healthy kits and one healthy mother, Firestar. Who could ask for more? And dear little Cinderpaw here helped me!"

Firestar smiled at Cinderpaw, but couldn't help thinking about Ginger. _Maybe they could've helped me, _he thought. But deep in his heart, he knew that Ginger was gone, and that he couldn't change it.

Firestar smiled at the now-awake Sandstorm. "I'm so happy, Sandstorm," he said, and he truly was.


	8. Firestar's Realization

**Oh my gosh that chapter made me so sad. Well, it's over now. Please review! That button there has a reason, you know . . . **

It had been one moon since Ginger's death and his two new little kits, and Firestar was in the best of spirits. However, he still couldn't forget the kittypet he once loved.

He padded outside of the den, and saw his two proud kits, Squirrelkit and Leafkit, playing. This saddened Firestar's heart, for they would never know that they were not true sisters.

He waved a paw to them, looking Squirrelkit in her green eyes. She was the only tie he had left to Ginger.

As he was in the depths of the forest, he peered up at the sky, an old habit he used to have when Ginger was still alive. Up there, instead of the clouds, a faint impression of Bluestar's face stared down at them.

"Firestar!" she boomed. For some reason, Firestar got the hint that only he could hear her.

"This must not happen again. You must have no more interaction with kittypets. It has only brought you sorrow, and her, death."

"I'm sorry!" Firestar yowled. "I really tried, Bluestar, I did."

"I have experienced that before also, and all it brought me was sorrow also. Now, go. I cannot speak to you for long. You are a great leader, but all cats have their flaws! Just remember I chose you as my deputy for a reason!"

As Bluestar faded away, Firestar realized that Ginger's death might not have been an accident. Did StarClan do that on purpose? He was filled with sadness just at the thought! No! Bluestar would not do that to him!

As he went back to camp, he smiled at Graystripe. Now he knew what he felt like when Silverstream had died.

"Hello Graystripe!" he said, and Graystripe smiled back.

Firestar was immediately happy at his friend's devotion.

"Wanna go for a hunt?" he asked.


	9. Epilogue

**Well, I'm finishing up this story. Hope ya liked! This was one of my better ones ... also so far my only completed one... JUST REVIEW ALREADY? Please?**

It was nighttime, and Firestar was sleeping with Sandstorm. He realized that, well, Ginger was another cat. Yes, he may have loved her . . . a lot, but, he was meant to be with Sandstorm. They were destined, even if they were not the best of friends as apprentices.

As the night passed, Firestar drifted into sleep, only to see the excited Sandstorm waking him up. He smiled into her rich, chocolate brown eyes. "Yes, Sandstorm?"

"Firestar! Look at our kits! They've grown up so much!"

"Yes, they have. Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes. Squirrelkit got your green eyes."

Tingles ran down Firestar's back. "Y-Yes. She did. And Leafpool got your brown ones!"

Sandstorm bounded out. "C'mon! Let's play with them!"

Firestar hesitated for a second, but they shrugged. "What the heck!"

He ran out, and in a matter of minutes, the family of four were laughing and playing like always. Firestar smiled at the sky. _StarClan, thank you for showing me the way._


End file.
